MEET THE TEAM

Latoya West-Blackwood is a cultural strategist, literacy champion and creative producer. She founded the Jamaica Book Festival in 2024 out of an intentional desire to contribute to building a national and regional reading and knowledge culture while increasing access for all.

Her particular focus on providing access to diverse books and live literature experiences for children, youth and underserved communities, earned her the Yale School of Management International Publishing Leader Award and the Governor General’s Award for Excellence.